Over the Moon
by LasagnaLover56
Summary: It's opening day for Artemis's new archery range. An expert marksman herself, she's completely prepared for any customer who may walk through her door. At least, that's what she thought. Modern AU. Artemis x Awilix. Skadi is there too, as well as appearances from Tusky, Suku, and Kaldr (in one form or another).
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Inspired by artwork by Sciamano240 on DeviantArt. I have no association with the artist.**

 **I plan on writing a couple more chapters, with an appearance from Suku and Tusky in the next one. Artemis might seem a little ditsy in this, but she's just stressed. She'll regain her composure soon enough. Also, I may or may not have been watching _You Don't Mess with the Zohan_ before writing Skadi's dialogue, so if her accent seems "Middle-Eastern", blame Adam Sandler. **

* * *

Chapter 1: Opening Day

To say Artemis was nervous would have been a bit of an understatement. She had spent a rather inordinate amount of time picking her outfit the day before. She had a nice, multi-layered shirt that was also sleeveless to show she was both competent and comfortable outdoors. Her jeans cut above the knee and fit snugly, perhaps a tad _too_ snugly for her liking, around her thighs. She had some mascara and lipstick on but nothing too heavy, as well as studded earrings - she didn't want to look ostentatious. Her manicured nails, which contrasted her otherwise calloused fingertips, drummed over the wooden counter top as she stared at the entrance to her new shop: Artemis's Huntresses Bow and Arrow Range. Okay, so the name wasn't particularly eloquent or very friendly towards people with lisps, but she thought it was clever and straightforward enough to draw people in. And to be fair, she had lined up a decent amount of clients, mostly archery lessons for kids, birthday parties - she had an open range and field behind the store -, and also some fairly serious marksman, both for hunting and competition. Sure she had to explain that she would in fact teach both girls _and_ boys, but it made sense for the name of the shop to be accurate to the mythology. At least, that's what she told herself at the time.

She had booked a good number of arrangements and gathered plenty promises from people to stop by... just not on the first day, or even the first week. Apparently people thought it was rude to do so, or she would need time to set everything up, or that she'd be too busy. Archery was a bit of a growing fad recently, probably due to Catniss What's-her-face or something similar. But seriously, haven't people heard of grand openings? Artemis sighed and dropped her head, her bright red hair shifting over her shoulders and splaying on the counter. _People are morons_ , she thought to herself.

A couple hours passed and Artemis was bored, like extremely bored. A few people had come in to look at the bows and such but mostly just to ogle, not with any real interest or knowledge. So when she heard the front door open once more, she put on the friendliest smile she could muster while simultaneously preparing for further disappointment. Her facade, however, dropped (much like her jaw) when she saw the person who walked in. She could _feel_ her breath hitch and was made painfully aware of her heartbeat as a girl around her age with smooth, light-brown skin, covered in several block-pattern tattoos on her legs, arms, and crawling up her neck, made her way towards her. The newcomer's dark hair was pulled back in stylish dreads and she had a pale-green headband wrapped around her forehead. Her shirt of the same color laid a little loose over her curves and dropped below her collarbone. Jean shorts, cut pretty high up her thigh but not into slutty territory, showed off her...ahem, _long_ legs. Artemis would have "appreciated" those legs longer, if she wasn't sidetracked by the girl's ridiculously pretty face. "Hi! I understand you offer archery lessons?"

Artemis stood dumbfounded for a moment but quickly recovered as she realized she had a potential customer. She brought a fist to her mouth and cleared her throat, "Thank you very much for coming in today." Artemis had rehearsed various responses over the last few days. "Yes, we do indeed offer archery lessons. I take it you're interested in these for your younger sibling, or cousin, or...kid?" Artemis had trouble completing that sentence, or thought for that matter. She internally cringed a bit, both at her wildly inappropriate feelings and in apprehension as she waited for the answer.

"Oh, I actually was hoping to take them myself." Artemis knew she must have been joking, until she got a good look at the other

girls hopeful smile. For reasons she wasn't about to dignify into words, Artemis felt her cheeks heat up at the prospect. "Er, right. No-yes. Yes, of course! Sorry, most of my clients are kids, so I just assumed, but I'd be happy to teach you."

"Great!" Awilix looked thoroughly excited, even a little relieved, "I'm busy today, but maybe we could start tomorrow? I'm free anytime before one."

Artemis checked her schedule for the upcoming weeks and pointed to a slot on the calendar, "Yes, there's open time tomorrow. 10am should work." _Maybe we could even have lunch afterwards._

Artemis missed Awilix's slight shift in tone as she made her next proposition, "Um, I do have a little time now. Maybe I could get a tour?"

Artemis hadn't quite stopped thinking about the potential lunch date and distractedly replied, "A tour?"

"Yeah, just to prepare...or whatever." Awilix's smile faltered a bit, "Sorry, you're probably busy. I'll just get going." As she turned, Artemis reached out to stop her. _I don't want her to leave yet!_ "NO!" _Too loud. "_ I mean, of course I can give you a tour. Here, why don't you follow me out the back."

 _Behind the shop_

There wasn't much to show besides the range itself, which was fairly standard with targets and arrow containers, the small wooded area surrounding it, and a small yard with wooden camping tables. After some quick explanations, the tour quickly devolved into mingling around the range and idle chit-chat. "So why did you decide to name your shop after a Greek god?" Awilix asked while turning her gaze towards the sky.

"Well, it is also my name."

Awilix seemed genuinely surprised at that. "Wait what?! _Your name_ is Artemis? That's pretty neat!"

"Yeah… My dad thought it would be funny 'cause he runs _Olympus_ Industries and his nickname is 'Zeus'. Probably due to his massive ego…" Artemis muttered the last part.

"Aw, that's cute!"

"Hmph, cute in the way Kanye names his kids North and South," Artemis retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Well I think it's cool," Awilix said, beaming her insanely white teeth, which were made even brighter against her caramel skin. While caught up in her smile, Artemis's eyes drifted towards the darker girls' lips. They _were_ next to her teeth after all.

 _That's a pretty color of lipstick,_ Artemis thought. _The mahogany really matches her skin tone and shows off the fullness of her lips._ Artemis licked around her mouth. _Mm, they look so soft, maybe I could just-_

"Artemis?" Awilix waved her hand back and forth with a slightly concerned expression, "You good? You sorta spaced out there."

"Ah," Artemis started, jumping out of her daze, " I was just, uh…thinking... that your lipstick looks good on you." She wasn't lying, that _was_ what she was thinking...at first anyway.

Awilix smiled back, "Thanks, purple and green are my favorite colors, as you can probably tell by my outfit." She gestured to her headband and shirt with that. "Oh, but I really love your red hair! Combined with your blue eyes, you really are stunning." She sounded endearingly earnest.

Artemis started to play with a handful of hair in front of her face, "Heh, thanks but I'm not all that attractive." She turned her head away in reminiscence, "Actually, in high school I was identified solely by my hair, or my 'blazing mane', as they called it. Don't even get me started on the Little Mermaid jokes." Artemis grumbled into her hair, "I hate that movie…"

When Artemis turned back, she found Awilix's sparkling blue eyes meeting her own of the same color. "What are you, a lunar-tic?" _A what-now?_ Artemis didn't have long to think about it as Awilix continued, "You're gorgeous. Those kids were probably just jealous." Awilix gave a wave of her hand, settling the matter as if what she said was the most obvious thing in the world. Artemis looked up in surprise, mouth slightly agape, only to be met with another dazzling smile.

Artemis quickly turned away and pulled her fiery hair in front of her burning face. _What the-, how can she just say that?!...D-Did she really mean it?_ As her eyes frantically searched the ground in front of her for the answer, a deep and booming, yet somehow still feminine, voice called out from a ways in front of her, "Little Arty, is this new customer you bring?"

"Huh?" Artemis's head popped up to face the disturbance to her thoughts. In front of her stood a rather burly woman, at least compared to Artemis's petite frame, with icy-blue hair, steel-blue eyes, and strong hands on her hips. Of course, the Northern European, maybe Russian, accent let Artemis know who it was before looking up. "Oh, Skadi. Yes, this is Awilix. She's interested in taking archery lessons."

Skadi raised an eyebrow while eyeing Awilix, who shifted a bit under the gaze but managed to keep a small smile. "Well, she look promising. I like patterns on body," Skadi said this while gesturing to her own markings under and above her right eye. "Now! First thing is safety. Remember, pointy end of arrow..."

"Oh, actually I-" Awilix started.

"But it also important to remember that bowstring also can cause lash-whip to arm…"

"Skadi!" Artemis butt in. "Awilix isn't starting till tomorrow. I was just giving her a tour of the place."

"Oh, is my mistake," Skadi apologized, bowing her head slightly.

Awilix smiled in response, "No problem. It's nice to see such enthusiasm."

"Skadi takes her job very seriously as both the safety instructor and head of security," Artemis added. "She also fancies herself as my business liaison."

"Is important jobs, deserving of my full effort," Skadi said with an affirmative nod. "Which reminds me, you must take commemorative photo with first customer! Is good for business and morale."

"Oh no, I don't think that's-" Artemis began.

"Sounds perfect!" Awilix cut her off.

"Excellent," Skadi said while shoving Artemis towards Awilix, "now hurry and look like you are the makings of merry."

Artemis heard Skadi's words, but couldn't move her arms from her sides. Her brow creased in worry as she stood still, doing her best impersonation of a mime impersonating a pole. Taking pictures wasn't that big of a deal, but she had no idea what to do or how to pose with Awilix - a girl she barely knew! "Little Arty, you are looking as stiff as ice on tundra. I think you may need encouraging, yes?"

Artemis jolted from her slump of indecision, "Wait!"

Too late. Skadi let out a short, piercing whistle and yelled, "Kaldr attack!"

"No!" Artemis looked desperate as she turned towards the shop.

Awilix wasn't sure what was happening, but she was starting to get concerned for the little red head. She also felt some apprehension for her own well-being as she followed Artemis's gaze.

Bounding over the grass ran a small blob. As it came closer, she was able to identify it as a dog. But this wasn't any ordinary dog. No, this dog was part wolf. It was also the _fluffiest, cutest,_ and _smallest_ little wolf-pup Awilix had ever seen. Kaldr bounced up to Artemis's feet and started barking. The sound came with the same intensity and elicited the same feelings as poking a jumbo marshmallow, the puppy's attempts at looking menacing making her that much more adorable. Artemis turned towards Awilix, a goofy smile plastered on her face as she tried and failed to both suppress her giggles and act scared, "Awilix save me!"

Awilix matched her laughter with her own confident smile, acting as her savior, "Don't worry, I've got you!" Awilix looped one arm under Artemis's hair and around her neck, the other grasping her upper back in security. As Artemis wrapped her own arms around Awilix, she turned towards Skadi as she yelled out with a grin of her own, "Say cheese!"

Artemis slowly came down off the adrenaline high from almost being mauled by a vicious predator, and abruptly realized that she and Awilix were pretty much embracing each other. She quickly and awkwardly pulled away, hiding behind her hair. She chanced a glance up at Awilix and could have sworn she looked embarrassed as well. Probably just her imagination - or wishful thinking. Awilix broke the silence, "Uh, well I should get going." She scratched the back of her neck with a shy smile, "Thanks for the tour. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Um, right! Tomorrow. See you then." Awilix gave a small wave as she headed back towards the shop. Artemis watched her retreating figure until she rounded a corner and was out of sight. Without turning around, she said, "Skadi."

"Hmm?" Skadi replied with a knowing look.

Artemis turned her head halfway around, looking deadly serious, "Make me an extremely high-quality copy of that picture."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I considered making this story a one-shot, but it'll probably end up as 3-4 chapters. It sort of depends on if I want to bump up the T rating to M, if you catch my drift. I'm not sure I want to go that route, however, because I feel like it might not turn out very interesting or realistic due to my own lack of experience. I also really appreciate the 2 follows. Honestly, my goal for this story was 1, so it's nice to have dreams fulfilled - even small ones! ;D**

Chapter 2: The Lesson

Sunlight filtered through the thin curtains covering Artemis's bedroom window. The soft light danced off her messy hair, glowing like embers in a fire. The glow faintly illuminated Artemis's most recent and valued possession as she gently clutched it in front of her face. Her tired eyes scanned the picture as her thumb brushed across the image, savoring every detail. She honestly couldn't remember a time when she had looked so happy. _Been_ so happy. Even though it had been over 12 hours, her neck still tingled from Awilix's touch - a touch which radiated throughout her body. The darker girl's other hand happening to land on the strap of her bra, Artemis couldn't help but imagine it unraveling in her hands, her own arms tightening their grip around Awilix's tattooed shoulders. One thing that Artemis hadn't noticed at first glance, but was made abundantly clear during the embrace, was the _size_ of her breasts. They had pressed together with her own through many layers of clothes and only for the briefest of moments, but that was more than enough for her to know that she would have given anything to strip those layers away. Artemis squeezed her eyes shut as her mind swirled and her hand crept down her body, searching for relief. As she realized what she was doing, her eyes sprang open with a small jolt. A light sheen of sweat covered her pale skin as she laid on her side, slightly out of breath. _Shit_.

After calming down with a quick shower, Artemis made her way towards her closet. _Okay, enough of this ditsy shit,_ she thought to herself, _time to get serious._ A couple rejected outfits later, and she ultimately decided on a pair of _short_ , denim shorts that were frayed along the edge, a blue v-neck which cut just high enough to show some midriff, and layered a thin, brown vest over-top. A dark scarf finished the look and added some class by wrapping around her neck and leaving a long end to flow down. So, half of the outfit may have been from her slu-...er, sexy cowgirl costume for Halloween. At least she decided against a pair of heels, even though the height difference bothered her more than she cared to admit. Her hair was pulled back into a long braid with twin wolf-tails at the sides of her face. She gave herself a quick once-over in her full-length mirror before grabbing her keys, purse, helmet, and jacket and heading out.

Artemis tried to keep busy while waiting for Awilix to show up, but she ended up pulling out her phone every few minutes to check the time. _Okay, 9:55am_. She was actively pacing around the store now. _It's no big deal. It's just an archery lesson. My hair is done up, my ass looks good, and the amount of skin I'm showing may be bordering on workplace indecency._ Artemis ended up repeating those lines to herself so much that she turned them into a little diddy. _My hair's done up~, my ass looks good~, and my skin may border on indecency~._ Maybe she was going crazy. Caught up in her jingle, she failed to notice that a customer had walked in and was watching her for the past 6 minutes until a small giggle escaped their lips, "Hehe, having fun?"

Artemis froze. The good news was she hadn't been singing out loud; the bad news was she _had_ been humming and dancing a bit as she stocked shelves. She was also on her hands and knees, in the middle of reaching a low cupboard. Of course, she immediately recognized the sweet, jovial voice and turned her head to meet her new student. "H-How long have you been standing there?" Artemis grimaced.

"Oh, long enough," Awilix answered coyly, doing her best to look nonchalant. "Anyway, you're looking pretty cute today. I love your," Awilix tugged lightly at her collar, "shorts."

At this Artemis realized she was still down on all fours and giving the other girl her full moon. Surprisingly steady, Artemis picked herself up as her eyes scanned for Awilix's reaction. Awilix, for her part, was doing a fairly good job at not _blatantly_ staring, but still obviously getting a good look. Artemis tried to take the other girl's gaze in stride, but failed miserably as a blush spread across her cheeks. She took the time to look over Awilix as well, who had traded her green headband for a white sweatband and was in a form fitting, purple and green striped soccer jersey. The words "Lunar Jaguars" were written on the front as well as the number "61". As interesting as the jersey was, it was when Artemis looked down towards Awilix's legs that she knew that if she wasn't crazy already, she was about to be. Awilix had black, thigh-length socks, much too long for soccer, stretched up her silky skin and ending about half-a-foot below her dangerously tight track shorts. The material cut into her thigh, causing a small bulge around the edge. Artemis, almost unconsciously, bit her lip, shuffling her legs closer together as she tried to maintain her composure - the look in her eyes was almost as dangerous as the size of the track shorts. Awilix wasn't showing nearly as much skin as yesterday but somehow this was _worse_. Artemis's teeth were most likely smudged with lipstick from biting so hard. _Oh god,_ she thought. The shop went quiet as both girls stood stunned at the other's appearance. Finally, Artemis managed to stop leering and regained her voice, "So...ready to get started?"

Awilix snapped her head up at the question, her glazed eyes regaining their shine and working up to a large smile, "Uh...yeah. I mean, yes! Yes, let's go!"

 _Out on the range_

As the girls approached the shooting area, a familiar head of icy-hair turned to meet them. "Ah, Awilix," Skadi greeted, "Glad to see you came back. Although, not nearly as glad as Little Arty I'm sure." Skadi's lips, painted in soft blue lipstick, raised into a mischievous grin. Artemis shot her a piercing stink-eye.

"Of course, I was really looking forward to this!" Awilix responded. "But um," she hesitated, "didn't you….have an accent yesterday?"

"Guh! Uh...I mean yes. Is correct. Accent is present and not at all fake like tits of the Pamela's Anderson." Artemis would have slammed her hand into her forehead if she wasn't carrying half-a-dozen arrows in one hand and a medium draw-weight bow in the other. "Oh, just quit it will you? That sounded more like a bad Adam Sandler movie than an accent," Artemis snapped. "It's over. I told you it was a dumb idea."

Skadi deflated, showing a reaction similar to that of a scolded Kaldr. " _Sigh_ , I'm sorry. I honestly thought it would help," she replied rather dejectedly.

Awilix wasn't really sure what was going on, but she still found the situation quite humorous. Although her accent was gone, Skadi still had the same deep voice, which was also made much smoother without the broken English. Awilix intervened before Artemis could retort, "Aw, cheer up Skadi. I think it's great that you're trying so hard." She tried to give an encouraging smile, "But...what exactly were you trying to do…?"

Skadi seemed to perk up a bit as she answered, "I thought having an exotic accent would draw more people in...but I think I just ended up scaring them…"

"I swear Skadi," Artemis said, "Kaldr is more useful to my business than you are. I'm pretty sure she alone has drawn in over 20 kids due to her fluffiness." Artemis smirked, "Maybe you should try to be more like your dog?"

Skadi's face burned a deep scarlet as she muttered, "I will defeat that dog. One day," and walked back to tend to the shop.

Artemis gave her friend a pitying smile as she watched her walk. "Well, now that that's over," she said while turning back towards Awilix, "let's start the lesson!"

"Great," Awilix beamed, "but doesn't Skadi need to teach me about safety first?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Artemis said while setting up. "It won't matter as long as there's no one else here. Plus, I'm with you- I'll keep you safe."

Awilix felt her cheeks heat up. "Oh, I see…"

Artemis coughed into her hand. "Anyway, I thought I could give you a demonstration first." She definitely wasn't trying to show off. "I actually invented my own style of shooting which is up to 75% faster than average. Recently though, I've managed to bump it up to 80%." Nope, not showing off at all.

"Wow, that sounds incredible! I'd love to watch you in action," Awilix said, clutching her hands to her chest.

Artemis wiped her nose and puffed out her chest, "Right, here goes. People call it my 'Vengeful Assault.'" Artemis readied herself by leaning on and bending her back leg. The bow was turned sideways in her grip, and even though the draw weight was lower than she was used to, she easily compensated. Her hands moved in a flurry of motion while her eyes narrowed on the target as all six arrows were let loose in less than three seconds. The cluster was almost perfect with only one arrow missing the center ring. Artemis stood back up straight, flirtatiously flipping her hair and shooting Awilix a winning look. She was used to receiving praise for her archery skills and people watching in awe, but something about the way Awilix looked at her was different. It was more primal, more like hunger than admiration.

"God Artemis. That was...wow," Awilix gushed.

Artemis's bravado melted into bashfulness at Awilix's reaction, "Heh, thanks. It was no big deal…" Her demeanor quickly changed, however, as she saw an opportunity and started to approach Awilix's slim form. She clasped the other girl's hand in hers as she handed over the bow. "Here, let me show how easy it can be," Artemis whispered into Awilix's ear, using the sultriest voice she could muster. The redhead felt the darker girl stiffen as she pressed into her back, guiding her arms to the proper position. She pressed into her curves, the height difference allowing them to mold together. "Stand just like this," Artemis breathed on Awilix's neck, the words sending shivers down her body. _This was a great idea_ , Artemis thought.

 _This was a terrible idea, all this teasing is driving me nuts._ Both girls stood on uneasy legs as they returned from a frustratingly long lesson of sexual frustration...and archery, of course. "Thank you so much for the lesson, Artemis," Awilix smiled. "I think I really learned a lot!"

"My pleasure, really." After a few awkward minutes without any movement and taking the time to steel her resolve, Artemis worked up the nerve to ask, "Hey Awilix, um, if you're not busy...would wanna get some lunch with me? There's a pretty nice place across the street that I go to."

Awilix looked truly pained as she answered, "I would love to...but I actually have to get going earlier than I thought today. I coach a little league soccer team, and there's a meet-and-greet with the parents before practice today."

"Oh...that's okay. I understand…" Artemis tried to sound upbeat, but her body radiated disappointment as her eyes turned downcast.

"Um, if you wanted...you could come with me to the soccer practice," Awilix proposed. "The coaches are having an exhibition game, so we wouldn't be able to talk much. But, maybe I could make it up to you with dinner afterwards?" She ended with a heartwarming smile.

Artemis lit up at the idea and almost tripped over herself to get her keys. "Why don't I drive?" she offered. She couldn't help but grin cheekily as she added, "We can take my 'Hog.'"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: First off, sorry this took a little longer. I was traveling last week and didn't really feel like writing. Then my flight got cancelled and...it's been kind of hectic.**

 **Anyway, enough of that boring stuff. I'm ecstatic to now have 5 followers and 2 reviews, and they're even positive ;D. So thank you very much for that. This chapter is a bit shorter because I was going to add a sex scene, but then decided against it. You'll probably be able to tell where that scene would have fit in. As for the future of this story, I only have one more chapter planned because...well, that's all I have planned. I never intended to write out their life's story, so therefore, I'm out of ideas! The next chapter will be a time-skip to wrap things up.**

 **As for the future of my writing, I may have something in the works that's another Fem!slash (did I do that right?) pairing for Smite because that's my thing I guess. There'll be a pretty obvious hint in the next chapter as to who they may be, and it will be in the same universe. Thanks for reading ^^**

 **P.S. - An alternate title for this chapter could be:** ** _Exploring the Limits of the T-rating_** **P**

Chapter 3 - Fuel to the Fire

"Artemis?"

"Yeah?"

"You do know this isn't a Hog right? Hogs are Harley's."

"Uh huh, I call her 'Tusky,'" Artemis said, apparently oblivious to Awilix's corrections.

"But this is a Japanese motorcycle..."

Artemis handed Awilix her spare helmet as she replied, "It's kind of a long story. I'll tell you about it at dinner." With that, Artemis shoved her black helmet onto her head and straddled the motorcycle. Awilix was about to follow suit, until she realized the situation she was in. She didn't necessarily have any objections to riding on a motorcycle, but the shape of this one had Artemis in a forward leaning position. Awilix's mind raced with rather lewd thoughts as Artemis's ass was quite literally jutting towards her in those disgustingly short denim shorts. Her own track shorts weren't much better - arguably worse - but at least she had a reason...if one disregarded the fact that she wore these track shorts _underneath_ her soccer shorts. Artemis was just being a tease!

"Hey, Awilix," came Artemis's muffled voice, "you coming? I thought you were in a hurry."

Awilix jumped at the other girl's call, "Uh, right. Sorry." After getting her helmet on, Awilix quickly stepped over the bike. The first thing, or things she should say, Artemis felt were two strong arms securing themselves around her waist. One of them circled her bare midriff, electrifying the already heated touch. It reminded Artemis of how she felt during the picture as Awilix pretended to keep her safe, except this time it was Awilix who sought safety from her.

Events which took place just the day before felt like they were a lifetime away, as Artemis was already starting to struggle to imagine how she managed life without the girl embracing her petite frame. She tried not to squirm as her rear end fit like a hand in a glove in between Awilix's legs. She also tried really, _really_ hard to ignore the fact that Awilix was not wearing underwear beneath her track shorts, but potential dry-humping became the least of her worries as two plushy mounds descended onto her upper back. Not for the first time today, Artemis yearned to know how how those breasts would feel without the clothes or the bra, how her fingers would sink into them, how they would taste in her mou- _Focus!_

Clearing her throat to both grab Awilix's attention and divert her own thoughts, Artemis asked, "Ready to go?" The only response she got was a slight nod from what seemed to be a _very_ distracted Awilix. _Maybe she's nervous to be riding on a motorcycle,_ Artemis thought. She would have told Awilix to "hold on tight", but her heart probably would have burst out of her chest with any more contact. As luck would have it, however, once the engine started revving and the bike pulled out onto the street, Awilix did end up strengthening her grip. And, true to her word, Artemis's heart picked up the pace and resonated throughout her body. She normally got an adrenaline rush from riding Tusky, but it paled in comparison to the sensation she felt now. _I hope she can't tell how fast my heart is beating_. Maybe if either girl was able to silence their own thoughts, or maybe if they paid any attention at all to their surroundings, they would have noticed that only one beat echoed between two hearts.

 _2 hours later, after soccer practice, at The Lobster_

"So, you promised to tell me the story of your bike," Awilix said while leaning forward in her seat, resting her head on her hand with a soft smile. "Tell me about it."

Artemis leaned forward to match Awilix's angle. "Ok, well I was out at the dealership. The salesman there _really_ wanted me to buy a Hog. Probably some sponsored thing for his commission. Anyway, I _was_ considering it, but he was just so annoying that I ended up buying a Kawasaki and naming it 'Tusky' just to spite him." Artemis took a deep breath at the end of her story to signify its conclusion. Awilix just looked on, seemingly unsatisfied.

"You know, that really wasn't that long of a story," Awilix giggled, "It was like four sentences."

"Well, we were in a hurry to get to your practice before. And I think that qualifies as at least medium length!" Artemis defended.

"I guess, but don't you think it's kind of silly to do something like that purely out of spite?" Awilix's eyes showed a bit of worry.

"Hmm, maybe," Artemis considered, "but he was also hitting on me a lot and-"

"Oh!" Awilix stiffened, "Then you really had no choice. Actually, you shouldn't have even bought _anything_ from him and gone to a different dealership! What a piece of shit!" Awilix grew flush at her outburst. Her eyes spread wide and mouth slightly aghast. She didn't realize how possessive she'd become...and they hadn't even finished their _first_ date yet. She hoped Artemis didn't notice. She hoped to just gloss over the remark. The smirk crawling up the redhead's face told her otherwise.

"My Awilix, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a little thing for me." Artemis raised an eyebrow as her eyes sparkled with playfulness and held a drink at her lips.

As embarrassed as Awilix felt, she still saw opportunities clearly, especially when the reward was as sweet as an embarrassed Artemis. "Well," Awilix said, "why else would I pretend to be interested in archery just to talk with the hot redhead I saw through a store window?"

"I-you...what?"

"And then," Awilix went on, ignoring Artemis, "I find out she's even more amazing than I thought and…" Awilix's voice began to fill with trepidation the next words came out, "before I knew it, all I wanted to do was kiss her." Artemis's bewildered eyes met Awilix's as they exchanged silent thoughts through their shared gaze. At some point, their hands had found each other and were now interlaced, resting peacefully on the table.

Eventually, they seemed to reach a decision as Artemis said, "Wanna get out of here?"

The ride to drop off Awilix back at her apartment went by in a flash as both girls clamped down on their urges in order to stave off an accident. They even managed to make it up the steps in front of the entrance to the building without even looking at each other. But, when they did finally cave and sneak a glance, they caved _hard_. As fast as they moved towards each other, with Artemis pushing Awilix into the brick wall behind her and shoving as much of herself onto the darker girl as she could, the instant their lips touched, everything stopped. It was a rash and sloppy kiss, but in that moment, nothing could have been more delicate - more perfect. The fire Artemis felt around Awilix erupted into an inferno as she struggled to find more - more of her lips, her tongue, her skin...more everything. Her hands pressed into Awilix's chest, teetering on the top of her breasts. Similarly, Awilix had wrapped her arms over Artemis's waist, barely restraining herself from massaging her ass. As Artemis felt Awilix begin to gasp for breath, she moved her mouth down the other girl's neck and her knee up to her core, trying to savor every moment.

"I...think we...should slow down a bit," Awilix said between panting breaths and barely contained moans.

"Slow...down?" Artemis asked, equally out of breath.

"Yeah, it's just," Awilix started, regaining some of her composure by shoving Artemis away slightly, "we only met yesterday, and I don't want this to be a one-night stand, y'know? I want this to last. People say that relationships burn out and run out of fuel if things start out too hot. Not that will necessarily happen to us." Her speech was accelerating at this point. "It's just a little scary - I've never felt like this so quickly before and I don't know what to do and...I like you so much and I don't wanna mess this up, but I think I just might have by saying we should take it slow and-..." Awilix was spiraling and nearly on the verge of tears by the time she stopped her rambling. She barely managed to mouth her next words, "Please say something."

Artemis wore a slightly confused expression during the rather lengthy and angsty confession. She shifted shyly as she gave her reply, "I-I like you too…"

 _The next morning_

Pale light shimmered through Artemis's bedroom curtains, faintly refracting off her fiery hair. She laid on her side as her well manicured, but now significantly trimmed down, nails traced across the tattoos that covered her latest and now, forever most treasured possession. Maybe it was wrong to refer to a woman as an object, but it was still cute metaphor. Her arms ended up betraying her morals, however, as they wrapped tighter around Awilix's toned waist, seemingly conveying ownership. The darker girl shifted under her grip.

"Mmph, Aart~," Awilix sang tiredly, "Isn't it too early to be crushing me to death?" She smiled as she shifted her smile into Artemis's fiery locks. "Or maybe you're into that? I mean, we do hardly know each other."

"Uh huh, and that's why we're straddling each other naked in my bed. How did we end up at my place anyway?"

"Cause my bed is literally a cot."

"And what happened to taking it slow?"

Awilix wrapped her leg over Artemis's slim form as her lips grazed her ear, "What did you think all that foreplay was for?"

Artemis managed to grumble out a reply as she hid her tomato of a face in her pillow, "You can add more fuel."

"What?" Awilix asked tiredly.

"Last night. You said relationships can burn out. Why can't you just add more fuel?" Artemis said matter-of-factly.

Awilix's eyes softened and her face lit up in a smile that she felt may never come off. The smile took a mischievous turn, however, as she started to trace her finger along Artemis's thigh, "Y'know~...If that was a subtle hint at needing to acquire more 'fuel', I'd be more than happy to oblige."

Artemis tried to reply, but all that came out was some flustering, "Wha-...No! I-I...It was just a meta-"

"Or did you mean more _physical_ 'fuel'," Awilix very pointedly shoved her hips up against Artemis from behind as she continued, her voice shifting from teasing to lustful, "I'm pretty sure I saw a strap-on under the bed last night."

If Artemis was a tomato before, she was now more akin to a fuming volcano. She clutched a pillow to her chest as she mumbled, "I hate you."


End file.
